FLORIDA - SENATOR RICK SCOTT'S WEEK IN REVIEW 02/05/2021

 

This week, Senator Rick Scott voted against Senate Democrats’ partisan $2 trillion spending bill that increases America’s crushing national debt and does more to advance wasteful liberal priorities than actually help American families and small businesses. Ahead of the vote, Senator Scott released the statement below.  Senator Rick Scott said, “Congress is as dysfunctional as ever. Democrats only lasted 10 days before they completely rejected bipartisanship and began their one-sided push for a $2 trillion spending bill. Democrats have moved forward with a wasteful spending bill that would increase our already massive national debt, trigger devastating cuts to Medicare, and hurt the poorest families in our nation the most. Only in Washington does that make sense. So much for the Left’s call for unity. "While the process the Democrats have chosen makes absolutely no sense and ultimately hurts American families, I will never stop fighting for Floridians. I am filing a number of amendments to the budget to rein in Washington’s out-of-control spending, protect Americans, secure the border, and get our children back to school." Read more HERE or in Spanish HERE. — See more of what Senator Scott has been up to this week below.

Sen. Rick Scott: Congress Must Address Our National Debt and Rein in Spending This week, Senator Rick Scott spoke on the Senate floor about why Congress must work to address the nation’s $27 trillion federal debt and how Washington’s wasteful spending and Democrats’ radical policies are putting our children and grandchildren’s future at risk.  Watch his speech HERE or below.   — Sen. Rick Scott: Democrats Want to Use COVID-19 Spending Package as Payback to Liberal States Senator Rick Scott released the below statement about Democrats’ plans to use the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 spending package to bailout wasteful states, like New York, Illinois and California, that want to use taxpayer money to backfill their poorly-managed budgets and pension plans. Senator Rick Scott said, “Senate Republicans are all in for getting targeted relief to Americans that are still hurting from this pandemic. But President Biden and the Democrats want to spend more than $350 billion to bailout their friends in New York, Illinois, and California. And they are lying about the need for this money. Congress has already given states roughly $400 billion to combat this crisis. States across the country are seeing increases in revenue — in some cases, well above projections. Now, we are learning that 47 states show an average decline of just 0.12 percent compared to 2019, and twenty-one of the 47 states show positive year over year growth of tax receipts. Over half of states reported positive growth, including California, New York, and Illinois. "This is great news for our states – but Democrats don’t want you to know this. The Democrats have made it blatantly obvious that this isn’t about helping people – it’s a payback to their friends for helping with their campaigns. Less than two weeks into the Biden Administration and Democrats have already completely abandoned their inauthentic calls for ‘unity’ and ‘bipartisanship’ just to push through massive spending and get tax dollars to their buddies. You can’t make this stuff up. These wasteful states just have their hand out to the federal government in hopes that American taxpayers will plug the long-standing holes in their budgets and pension systems created by decades of mismanagement and the poor decisions of failed politicians. That’s not fair to Floridians and all the states around the country that have been working hard to protect taxpayer dollars. We can’t let it happen." Read more HERE. — Sen. Rick Scott to OMB: Taxpayers Need Transparency on $4.5 Trillion Allocated for COVID Relief Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to the Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requesting an update on the more than $4.5 trillion in tax dollars that has been already allocated to provide financial support to individuals and businesses affected by the COVID-19 crisis. As Congress considers additional COVID-19 relief, Senator Scott is asking that all available information is released regarding tax dollar allocations and spending to make the best decisions for how to move the nation forward. Read more, including the full letter, HERE. — Senator Rick Scott Leads Colleagues in Resolution Demanding Olympic Committee Move 2022 Olympic Games Out of Communist China Senator Rick Scott introduced a resolution calling on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to move the 2022 Winter Olympics out of Communist China and rebid it to another country unless Beijing immediately addresses its egregious and numerous violations of human rights. Senators Mike Braun, Marco Rubio, Todd Young, Tom Cotton, Jim Inhofe, and Marsha Blackburn joined Senator Scott in sponsoring this resolution. Senator Rick Scott said, “Communist China is committing genocide against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, restricting the human rights of Hong Kongers, and threatening Taiwan. Communist China should not be allowed to host the 2022 Olympic Games while simultaneously running concentration camps, violating human rights and systematically oppressing the people of Hong Kong. The Olympic Games are an incredible opportunity to allow the world’s best athletes to represent their countries and unite our nations, and under no circumstance should be hosted by one of the world’s worst human rights abusers. I am proud to lead my colleagues to send a clear message to the IOC: stand up for freedom and urge Communist China to do the right thing, or find a new home for the 2022 Olympic Games.” Read more HERE. —  Sen. Rick Scott to D.C. Lobbying Firm: Working for Murderous Dictators Won’t be Tolerated Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to the lobbying firm Wiss & Partners LLP after reports revealed that the firm was hired for $6 million in 2017 by Nicolas Maduro’s socialist government in Venezuela to lobby on its behalf against U.S. sanctions. Read more, including the full letter, HERE. — Sen. Rick Scott Leads Colleagues in Resolution Opposing Reckless Iran Deal Senators Rick Scott, Joni Ernst and Kevin Cramer introduced a resolution expressing opposition to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and urging President Biden to work with Congress and refuse to re-join the deal without significant reform. Senator Rick Scott said, “President Trump was right to abandon the reckless Iran nuclear deal that President Obama got us into, and I’m proud my colleagues joined me today to oppose re-joining this deal without major changes. The sanctions the Trump administration levied on Iran are working, and must remain in place until Iran fully cooperates and their ability to develop nuclear weapons and produce ballistic missiles is permanently removed. President Biden must be responsible about this and work with Congress to protect national security and the interests of America and our great ally Israel." Read more HERE. — Senators Rick Scott, Marco Rubio and Colleagues Introduce Bill to Get Students Back in School Senator Rick Scott joined Senator Marco Rubio and colleagues in introducing the Put Students First Act of 2021, which would prohibit federal funding to schools that do not provide an in-person learning option by April 30, 2021. Senator Rick Scott said, “Health experts, students and parents agree: schools need to reopen and our kids need to get back to school. The only people who don’t want to open schools are Senate Democrats and the teachers unions that fund their campaigns. That’s wrong. Schools can openly safely and every student should have the option of in-person learning.” Read more from Senator Rubio’s office HERE. — Sen. Rick Scott Outlines Priorities in Letter to DOD Secretary Lloyd Austin Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin congratulating him on his confirmation and outlining his expectations for the agency to advance the military interests of our great nation and support the brave men and women who answer the call to serve. Read more, including the full letter, HERE. — Sen. Rick Scott: IOC Silence on Communist China’s Human Rights Abuses is Shameful One year ahead of the start of 2022 Olympic Games, Senator Rick Scott released a statement reiterating his call for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to move the games out of Communist China. To date, the IOC has failed to address Communist China’s horrific human rights abuses, and is instead rewarding General Secretary Xi’s abuses with a “soft power win.”  Senator Rick Scott said, “For more than a year, I’ve repeatedly called for the IOC to address the genocide occurring under General Secretary Xi’s watch but have been met with nothing but obfuscation. The silence of the IOC on Communist China’s oppression and human rights abuses is shameful. The abuses and genocide against Uyghurs, oppression of Hong Kongers, and aggression toward Taiwan are not unfounded allegations, they are well documented. There is no excuse for the IOC’s cowering to Communist China. It’s time to act and send a clear message that the Olympic Games are about unity and will not be associated with the atrocities General Secretary Xi leads against his own people. The games must be moved now.” Read more HERE. — Senador Rick Scott: El silencio del COI sobre los abusos de los derechos humanos en la China comunista es vergonzoso Un año antes del inicio de los Juegos Olímpicos de 2022, el Senador Rick Scott hizo un comunicado reiterando su llamado al Comité Olímpico Internacional (COI) para sacar los juegos de la China comunista. Hasta la fecha, el COI no ha abordado los horribles abusos contra los derechos humanos de la China comunista y, en cambio, está recompensando los abusos del Secretario General Xi con una “victoria de poder blanda”. El Senador Rick Scott dijo: “Durante más de un año, he pedido repetidamente al COI que aborde el genocidio que ocurrió bajo la supervisión del Secretario General Xi, pero me he encontrado con nada más que indiferencia. El silencio del COI sobre la opresión de la China comunista y los abusos de los derechos humanos es vergonzoso. Los abusos y el genocidio contra los uigures, la opresión de los habitantes de Hong Kong y la agresión hacia Taiwán no son acusaciones infundadas, están bien documentadas. No hay excusa para que el COI se acobarde ante la China comunista. Es hora de actuar y enviar un mensaje claro de que los Juegos Olímpicos tienen que ver con la unidad y no se asociarán con las atrocidades que lleva a cabo el Secretario General Xi contra su propio pueblo. Los juegos deben moverse ya”. Lea más AQUÍ.

Sen. Rick Scott in Fox News: Here’s How Biden’s Big Government Approach Will Hurt Businesses, Workers and Families Senator Rick Scott wrote an op-ed for Fox News on how the big government approach of President Biden and his economic policy nominees will hurt American businesses, workers and families. In the op-ed, Senator Rick Scott wrote, “There have been few other times in American history when the need for economic growth through strategic, responsible, pro-business policies has been as great as it is today. As our nation fights to overcome the horrendous health and economic consequences of COVID-19, we must balance our approach. … Sadly, President Biden and his economic team think the solution to America’s economic woes is for government to control the economy. That’s wrong and it will only drive us more into debt, ruining the chances for our kids and grandkids to ever make it in our country. We have to remember that individuals and the private sector are the driving force of our nation’s success. Not the government. This isn’t speculation – it’s obvious in President Biden’s choices for some of our most important leadership positions. A case in point is Gina Raimondo, the nominee to be secretary of Commerce and former governor of Rhode Island – the worst state in the nation for business. That’s right, one of the most important positions for supporting American economic growth and innovation is going to be filled by someone who oversaw a state with the nation’s third-worst GDP growth rate, the nation’s worst infrastructure and the eighth-highest tax burden. … In the four years before I was elected governor of Florida unemployment climbed to 10.8%, taxes increased by more than $2 billion, and the state lost more than 800,000 jobs. Over the next eight years, I worked every day to turn Florida around and we saw an incredible recovery from the Great Recession. … Now, President Biden and his Cabinet have the important task of trying to guide an economic recovery while Democratic mayors still refuse to open up economies and keep businesses and schools shut down. …It’s time to get real and make hard choices. We cannot continue to mortgage our kids’ and grandkids’ futures with irresponsible and shortsighted spending. President Biden and his Cabinet picks need better answers and American families deserve them now." Read the full op-ed in Fox News HERE. — Fox News: Scott: Biden COVID bill ‘makes no sense,’ just a ‘payback to the liberal left’ Washington Post: Pressure mounts to use 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics to confront China on genocide accusations Homeland Preparedness News: Senate bill seeks to improve school safety The Epoch Times: US Senator Criticizes WHO for Supporting Beijing’s COVID-19 Propaganda Breitbart: Rick Scott: Democrat Coronavirus Proposal a ‘Bailout’ to Liberal States The Week: GOP senators introduce resolution calling on IOC to move 2022 Winter Olympics out of China NewsRadio WFLA: Sen. Scott On COVID Relief, Vaccine Supplies & Trump Impeachment WCTV: Fl Senator Rick Scott intends to file bill to “stem the tide of the rampant and unyielding illegal immigration" WCTV: Florida senators reintroduce American Security Drone Act, cite foreign security risks WTXL: Senators Scott and Rubio introduce Luke and Alex School Safety Act Orlando Sentinel: Sen. Scott calls for 2022 Winter Olympics to be taken away from China Florida Daily: Rick Scott Warns New Defense Secretary About China Florida Daily: Rick Scott Opposes New Stimulus, Raising National Minimum Wage Florida Daily: Florida Senators Continue to Support Ron Johnson’s Proposal to Create Federal Clearinghouse on School Safety Florida Daily: Rick Scott Brings Back Drone Security Proposal Diario La Americas: Senadores instan retirar a China de los Juegos Olímpicos Invierno-2022

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